Backup controls for plural car elevator system

ABSTRACT

An elevator control for a plural car elevation system which allots each hall call to an individual car. Cars run to and stop for hall calls only when those calls have been allotted to the car. A failure to allot a hall call to an individual car within a given time interval allots the hall call to all cars. A failure to select a hall call for allotment allots all hall calls to all cars. In one embodiment, a failure to select a hall call for allotment sets all cars to run to all floors ahead of the cars in their current travel direction.

United States Patent Loshbough et 211.

[ 51 Aug. 8, 1972 [54] BACKUP CONTROLS FOR PLURAL 3,256,958 6/ 1966 Savino et a1. 187/29 CAR ELEVATOR SYSTEM 3,379,284 4/1968 Yeastmg ..187/29 [72] Inventors: Richard C. Loshbough; Gerald D. Primary Examiner T Lynch RObBSZklEWlCZ, bOth of Toledo, A t y wil on & Fraser Ohio 73 Assignee: Reliance Electric Company, Euclid, I571 ABSIRACT Ohio An elevator control for a plural car elevation system hich allots each hall call to an individual car. Cars 1 20 1967 w [22] Fled Jan run to and stop for hall calls only when those calls [21] App1.No.: 610,664 have been allotted to the car. A failure to allot a hall call to an individual car within a given time interval allots the hall call to all cars. A failure to select a hall U-S. for cars In one embodiment, a failure to select a hall call for allot- [58] Field of Search ..l87/29 mem sets ll cars to run t ll fl r ah ad of the cars in their current travel direction. 56 References Cited l l 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,833,376 5/1958 Burgy ..187/29 HALL HALL OMPARES ASSIGNED UNASSI NED C LFINDER C LL FINDER O l T CALL CALL ALL CALL STORAGE I-IALL CELL RSINS [NIJI O CJTPUT CALIL IS PUSH MEMORY WITH HALL CALL STARTS CALL CATING COINCIDENCE INDICATED BUTTON H MEMORIES AND INDI- -aFINDER FLOORS AND-c WITH AN -a To ALLOTTER CATES UNASSIGNED DIRECTION UNASSIGNED A5 ALLOTMENT HALL CALL TO SERIA! LY C LL 5 CALL CALL FINDER DETECTED 4 6 l L SSIGNED LENGTH OF UNASSIGNED CALL LENGTH OF TIME ALL CALL TIME CALL COINCIDENCE ALLOTMENT CALL STORAGE FINDER STOPS CALL REMAINS UNASSIGNED RUNS FINDER IS MEASU ED, SEARCHING DELAY IS EYCESSIVE, Egg gra IF TIME IS EXCESSIVE, CALL IS ASSIGNED TO CALL '5 ALL HALL CALLS ALL CAPS MEASURED ARE GIVEN TO ALL CARS I. ALLOTTER IS ALLOTTER RUNS DEMANDS, COMMANDS AND CAR ANALOG SIGNALS SUMMED PRESET TO THE INDICATING FLOORS LOCATION SCANNED BYALLOTTER GENERATING VOLTAGE LEVEL ALLOTMENT AND DIRECTION I PLUS 7, LOAD, M-G SET STATUS 0 PROPORTIONAL TO INORMATION "I CALL SERIAILLY AND QUELJE STATUS ARE TRANS- LATED TO ANALOG SIGNALS IF SERVICE DEMANDS ON ALL CARS EXCEED A PRESET LEVEL. NO ALLOT- MENT OCCURS AND ANOTHER ALLOTTER CYCLE RUNS I COMPLETION OF' RAMP RAMP LEVEL COINCIDENCF OF RAMP ALLOTMENT OF SCAN OF EVERY SIGNAL COMPARED WITH LEVEL AND ANALOG CALL IS STORED FLOOR IN BOTH 'GENERATEE" ANALOG LEVELS' LLVLL FOR CAR HAVING IN CAR'S DIRECTIONS FOR I'AGH (AR LOWkSI ANALOG LLVLL DEMAND MEMORY STOPS ALLOT FER SLNSLD PATENTEDAus 8 I972 SHEET 1 BF 5 INVENTORS RICHARD C. LOSHBOUGH GERALD D. ROBASZKlEWICZ ATTORNEYS PATENTEDM B 8 I972 3.682.275

SHEET 2 OF 5 ATTORNEYS PATENTEDAUB 8 I972 3.682.275

SHEET 3 0F 5 c BYPASS HALL CALLS 1 6 I34) THIS CAR A|NED UP 93 92- HALL CALL -87 u ALLOTMENT FLOOR IS Two DIRECT C.F. ALLOTMENT H 5 UP DEMAND TWO J W TWO UP 27- 34 91] CAR-IS AT FLOOR TWO 05 B '7 [R5 0; "'32 TWO UP 98\ DEMAND TWO u HQ MEMORY ISON 29 IN THIS CAR IO DESTINATION DIRECTION 8 IS u '23 26 DATE UP DEMAND RESET 1 RESET Two UP H.C. j 921 THIS CAR ASSIGNED DOWN I HALL cA L H8- C:CANCEL ALL DEMANDS I 89- r-94 DIRECT CIF. ALLOTMENT v s 0'03 99" 92'\ FF CAR IS IN GROUP SERVICE] H DN. DEMAND TWO MEMORY IS ON |24- JESET TWO DowN H.C.

I5 427 DOOR cLosE REQUES F. |22'\ DESTINATION DIRECTION IS DOWN n2 v DOOR NOT cLosED 3 DEMAND IN THIS CAR M-G SET RUN r128 r a... -T INVENTQRS RICHARD C. LOSI-IBOUGH GERALD D. ROBASZKIEWIC'Z ATTORNEYS PATENIEDMIB 8 I912 SHEET l; 0F 5 wNN 2 .U E 7 20 .rZ

.rmwmm Z712 IMPPOJJ INVENTORS RICHARD (L LOSHBOUGH GERALD D. ROBASZKIEWICZ wdl AT TORNEYS PATENTEDMIK wn 3.682.275

SHEET 5 UF 5 RICHARD C. LOSHBOUGH GERALD D. ROBASZKIEWICZ BY 7W, ATTORNEYS BACKUP CONTROLS FOR PLURAL CAR ELEVATOR SYSTEM This invention relates to group supervisory controls for a plural car elevator system and more particularly to means for maintaining elevator service when such controls fail to operate in the manner intended.

It is to be noted that a US. patent application Ser. No. 695,754 has been filed Jan. 4, 1968 in the name of Gerald D. Robaszkiewicz titled Multifunction Switch Control For Elevators for the hall call registering and reregistering circuits of FIG. 2 involving the feature of avoiding lockup of a car by a continuously applied hall call signal.

Heretofore it has been known to provide controls which maintain some form of elevator service when group supervisory controls for a system fail. Those systems having a free car and one or more home cars have been provided with circuits which start a home car when a free car fails to respond to the calls it normally serves. In dispatching systems failure of the dispatcher to start a car from a dispatching terminal has actuated an alternative starting circuit which may either be a secondary dispatcher or a system which starts all cars from the dispatching terminal without any spacing means. The failure of any car of a system to run has also been arranged to impose start signals on all cars including those subject to dispatcher control at dispatching terminals. Hall call signal circuits have failure responsive circuits to actuate car call circuits of the car when certain hall call malfunctions occur.

The present invention contemplates backup or failure actuated controls for a novel type of group supervisory control for elevators of the type disclosed in United States patent application Ser. No. 493,973 filed Oct. 8, 1965 for Elevator Controls in the names of Donivan L. Hall and William C. Susor and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 494,194 filed Oct. 8, 1965 for Elevator Controls in the names of Donivan L. Hall, William C. Susor, and James H. Kuzara. In these systems the cars run only in response to calls registered directly upon the car, as car calls, or registered to be accessible to a plurality of cars and for which an assigned relationship between individual call and car is developed. The calls which can be served by any of a plurality of the cars, usually of the nature of hall calls registered by controls at the floors, are processed in the development of the assignment between car and call to create a demand upon the car, as opposed to a car call or command for the car, by control elements which develop the allotment of the call on the basis of the relative capability of the cars to serve the call. Two

major operations are performed in the allotting operation of the above-identified systems: first, calls are seriallized by a call finder which scans the array of call registering devices until it encounters an operated call device and then looks upon that call; and, second, the call found by the call finder is considered with reference to the service capability of cars to serve that call and the call is allotted to a car having a suitable capability.

A failure in either the call finder or allotter equipment of a system as described can result in a lockup of the system at least insofar as its capability to serve hall calls.

An object of this invention is to improve elevator group supervisory controls.

A second object is to avoid lockups of service in an elevator system having a group supervisory control.

A third object is to substitute a second form of elevator car operation for the preferred form of operation in response to malfunctions in the control providing the preferred form of operation.

A fourth object is to limit the repetitive operations of an elevator group supervisory control and to alter such operations when the operations fail to cause the proper response of the elevator cars.

A fifth object is to transfer from an operating mode in which an assignment between individual hall calls and individual cars is developed to cause the individual car to run to its calls to an operating mode wherein a plurality of cars have an assignment developed between individual calls and each car.

Another object is to overcome failures in call finder operation or in allotter operation which persist for a given time interval.

A seventh object is to overcome power supply failures in the allotting equipment and in response to such failures apply the individual car power supplies to equipment performing the allotting function.

In accordance with the above objects, one feature of this invention is a timer applied to a scanner in a call finder to initiate a timing interval when a scanner operation is initiated. The timer defines an interval in excess of several times that required to perform the call finding function. It is reset by a completed call finding operation. If no reset occurs and the interval expires the call finder and allotter functions are superseded by a control which actuates demand memories for each of a plurality of cars for each floor for which a hall call memory is operated. In one embodiment every car in group service has its demand memory actuated for the floors having hall calls registered.

Another feature involves sensing the failure of the power supply to the call finder and in response thereto applying the power supply of each of a plurality of cars to its command memories to actuate those memories for floors ahead of the car.

A further feature resides in timing the interval a call has been selected by the call finder and maintained available for interrogation by the allotter. When the interval exceeds a certain value, the hall call subject to allotment at that time is assigned to a plurality of cars. As in the case of a call finder failure one technique of overcoming this failure is to set the demand memories of the allotment call for all cars of the group which are in group service.

A still further feature is an inhibiting control for the allotter failure circuit which is arranged to inhibit the failure operation when the allotter ascertains a service requirement exceeding a predetermined limit imposed upon the cars available to it. Thus if the system has service at or approaching saturation so that if a call were allotted it could not be served in a reasonable interval, the system recognizes that the basis for allotment would be invalidated and precludes allotment while inhibiting the auxiliary or failure allotment functions. A time limit can be imposed upon this inhibiting means whereby under the near saturated conditions the failure interval is established by the tandem operation of two timers to define an interval which is the sum of their two intervals.

The above and additional objects and features of this invention will be appreciated more fully from the following detailed description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a function block diagram of the processing of registered hall calls to develop an assignment between individual calls and individual cars and the failure controls applicable thereto according to one application of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a logic diagram of portions of a call finder including the scan failure responsive controls together with their relationship to a typical hall call memory for up and down calls for the second floor;

FIG. 3 is a logic diagram showing typical up and down second floor demand memories for one car of the system;

FIG. 4 is a logic diagram of the allotter car assignment gating as it is integrated with portions of the allotter scanner control to actuate the allotter backup circuitry and provide a direct hall call assignment signal to the demand memories of cars as represented in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a logic diagram of the call finder scanner power supply failure detector and its means for intercoupling the individual cars power supplies to the command memories of those cars as typified by a command memory for one floor and one car.

The invention has been illustrated as applied to a four car elevator system serving thirteen floors. The cars have been designated A through D and the landings 1 through 13. Each car has the capacity to serve each landing and therefore can respond to the down hall call registering devices (not shown) at landings 2 through 13 and the up hall call registering devices (not shown) at landings 1 through 12. The car controls for a system of this type can be of conventional form employing floor selectors (not shown) which commutate contact segments according to the actual and effective or slowdown distance positions of the cars, or can employ the car control disclosed in US. patent application Ser. No. 380,385 for Elevator Control which was filed July 6, 1964 in the names of Donivan L. Hall, Richard C. Loshbough and Gerald D. Robaszkiewicz. The supervisory system employed for the specific illustration of the invention is that of the aforenoted US. patent application Ser. No. 494,194 wherein the allotting function develops an assignment between a registered hall call and that car of the plurality subject to the group supervisory control which is in the optimum condition to serve the call.

The logic elements employed to illustrate the invention are conventional in form. Advantageously they are made up of solid state active elements such as diodes and transistors mounted on printed circuit boards with conventional passive elements in modular groupings such that per floor and per car groupings are established on the boards. They are conventional in nature constituting ANDs, ORs, flip-flops, inverters and time delays typified by AND 12, OR 15, flip-flop 16, inverter 23 and time delay 84 all shown in FIG. 2. The ANDs are arranged with a plurality of input terminals upon which enabling signals must be coincident in order to gate a signal at the output. Each OR is a multiinput gate which is gated by a signal to any input. The flip flops are the usual bistable multivibrator having a set input, designated by s, to trigger the output to an on condition and a reset input, designated by rs, which returns the output to an off condition in response to a signal. Time delays for intervals of 0.5 seconds or less are conventional one shot multivibrators while intervals of a second can be defined by a re sistance-capacitance controlled unijunction transistor and multiples thereof defined by a binary counter pulsed by the unijunction as a -pulse count of a lsecond pulse rate for a l-minute time delay. In the example semi-conductive elements operating from +6 volt and I2 volt supplies are employed.

The system disclosed functionally in FIG. 1 utilizes the supervisory control as disclosed in patent application Ser. No. 494,194 wherein each hall call is serialized by a call finder so that it is individually considered by an allotter which develops an assignment between the call and that car having the optimum service capability with respect to the call. An intending passenger at a landing operates a call switch which may be a conventional push button (not shown) to register a hall call for a desired direction of travel. An operated hall call push button sets a hall call memory in which the call is stored until a car providing service in the call direction stops at the floor of the call. Stored hall calls when assigned to a car are termed demands and are stored in a demand memory of the type shown in FIG. 3. Assignment is accomplished by considering each hall call individually. Hall calls, as stored in the hall call memory for a floor, are compared with the command memories (resulting from the registration of car calls in the individual cars) and demand memories for each car for that floor to ascertain if a call had been assigned either as a car call or a hall call for that floor and that service direction. Thus a comparison is made between registered hall calls and car calls and if a coincidence of such calls for floor and service direction is present for any car, a direct assignment of the registered hall call is made to that car. The hall call in the hall call memory is also compared with assigned hall call storage or demand memories for the several cars and if a coincidence between these stored calls is found, no action is required inasmuch as the car previously assigned will ultimately serve the call. If no coincidence exists the hall call is selected for assignment.

The unassigned hall call is indicated to the call finder and starts a scanner in the call finder which in step-bystep fashion advances along the floors in sequence in accordance with travel direction. Thus a complete scan by a call finder involves scanning the floors from one through thirteen in an ascending order and scanning one through thirteen in a descending order. The call finder-scanner runs until it establishes coincidence with a floor of a registered hall call as indicated by a hall call memory. When such coincidence is established, the call finder stops its scanning operation and indicates the landing and call service direction to an allotter as an allotment call.

In accordance with the present invention, a lockup of the system with respect to hall calls through the failure of operation of a call finder is avoided by a call finder failure detector which senses a failure in the power supply to the call finder and in the event of such failure, transfers a signal from the power supply of each car to the car call storage means, the command memory for each car for each landing ahead of that car.

In another form of failure of the call finder, the scanner may continue to run for an interval far in excess of that necessary for it to scan the complete range of landings in the system indicating a failure to sense a scanned unassigned hall call or failure to respond to such sensing. In practice, the interval defined is that required to complete several scans. A timer is thus triggered upon the initiation of operation of the call finder by an unassigned hall call. This timer is reset when the call finder scanner is stopped in a position coincident with an unassigned hall call. If the timer is permitted to continue running until the predetermined time interval has expired, thereby indicating that the call finder has been searching for an unassigned call for an excessive interval, all hall calls in the hall call memory are given to all cars in the system.

Assuming that a normal call finder sequence is performed by the equipment and an allotment call is identified for the allotter by the functioning of the call finder, the allotter is preset to the allotment call so that its scanner is arranged to scan the range of travel of the cars from the allotment call landing. This scanning is preset for a direction opposite the service direction of the allotment call. Thereafter the allotter scanner runs in a step-by-step fashion scanning each floor for each direction of service until it has returned to the allotment floor. During an allotter scan cycle, coincidence of the allotter scan with car position is sensed and a counter individual to each car counts the number of landings between the allotment call and the car. Additional counters count the demands and commands between the allotment call and the car. The number of commands and demands spaced from the allotment call beyond the car for each car is also considered. At the end of the scan the allotter senses the degree of loading of the car, the motor-generator set status of the car, the preference floor service status to the car (termed herein the queue status), which together with the various counts enumerated above are translated to analog signals scaled to the predicted delay in service by the car due to such factors. These signals are summed for each car to generate a voltage level proportional to the predicted service time required for each car to serve the allotment call.

In order to generate an accurate signal for each call at the initiation of the allotter function, the call finder in addition to presetting the allotter scanner, also resets the several counters of the individual cars and in accordance with the present invention initiates operation of an allotter timer. The allotter timer runs until allotment of a call is completed and is reset by such allotment. In the alternative if an allotment is not completed within an interval generally predetermined to be several times that required for a maximum allotment interval, the timer times out indicating an excessive delay in the allotment of the allotment call and the allotment call is assigned to all cars.

The summed analog signal for each of the cars is fed to a comparator circuit which is also supplied by a ramp signal from a ramp generator whose operation is initiated when the allotter scan cycle has been completed. The ramp signal which increases with time is terminated by operation of the comparator circuit having the least summed analog signal and that car is allotted the allotment call by having its demand memory for the allotment call floor and service direction actuated. At this time the ramp signal generator IS reset.

In this fashion the car having the least predicted service time with respect to the allotment call is allotted the call. That car is therefore maintained in service until it runs to the floor of that call and makes itself available to serve that call. There are conditions, however, where the predicted service time by the allotter tends to lose its significance. This occurs particularly where the service capability signals generated for the allotment call by the several cars in the system are such as to indicate an excessive interval before service can be afforded to the call. For example, if service in the exemplary system cannot be provided by any car within a minute, any allotment made by the system would be of questionable validity in view of the changes in service capability which normally would be encountered by the cars between the time of allotment and the arrival of the assigned car at the floor of the call. In view of this, a limit is set upon the ramp level to be generated by the ramp generator. If the signal level is in excess of this ramp limit, no allotment occurs and the allotter recycles. Upon recycling of the allotter, the allotter failure timer is reset and an allotment overload timer is actuated to define a new interval of substantially greater length than the normal allotter failure interval. In practice, where allotment functions are normally completed in about 5 milliseconds, the allotter failure timer can be set to define an interval of the order of milliseconds and the allotment overload timer can be set for of the order of 1 minute.

If the allotter fails to identify a car within the service capability level imposed by the ramp signal limit within the time defined by the allotment overload timer, that timer times out to permit the institution of timing by the allotter failure timer. When the allotter failure timer times out, under these circumstances, the allotment call is assigned to all cars. Both the allotment failure timer and the allotment overload timer are reset upon the completion of an allotment function or, when timed out, by the next allotment of a call.

Up and down hall call memories for a typical floor, floor 2 for example, together with portions of the call finder scanner and the pertinent portions of an up and down demand memory for one car for one floor are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In view of the close relationship of FIGS. 2 and 3, like reference characters are applied to like elements and many of the output leads on the left side of FIG. 2 are labeled as the input leads on the right side of FIG. 3 to which they are connected.

Registration of an up hall call for the second floor results in a positive signal on lead 11 which is applied directly to AND gate 12 and through capacitive coupling 13 to AND 14 of the two up hall call memory. Gating of either of ANDs 12 or 14 gates OR 15 to apply a set signal to flip flop 16 which issues on its output lead 17 a positive signal indicative of a stored up hall call for floor 2. AND 12 is gated when no car is present at the floor for which the hall call has been registered and no up hall call reset signal is present for that floor.

Once a car is set to stop at a floor for which a hall call memory is set and the cars destination direction is the same as the service direction of the hall call memory, the hall call memory and the cars demand memory for that floor and service direction are issued reset signals.

These reset signals are maintained until the car doors start to close. After the termination of the reset signal, the hall call memory can be set by an operation of the hall call button while the car is at the floor. This new setting is used to retard the closing of the car doors or to reopen the doors as where a prospective passenger is tardy in arriving at the car entry. Such arrangements in the past haveled to lockups of service at the floor where the switch actuated by a hall call button has remained closed during reset of the hall call, since the car is precluded by the registered call from running from a landing and the presence of the call has barred any other car from stopping for the hall call.

This stuck button malfunction has been overcome by arranging the system to permit setting the hall call memory by completion of the circuit of the hall call switch after the memory has been reset while precluding any response if the circuit of the switch is continuously completed from a time overlapping the memory reset signal. This function is achieved by capacitively coupling the hall call registering means to the hall call memory so that under certain conditions the memory is set only in response to the impulse of an initial operation of the registering means and cannot be set by continuous operation of that means. This function is performed by capacitor 13.

A normal hall call registration resulting in a positive impulse on lead 11 gates both ANDs 12 and 14. AND 14 is gated by the coincidence of an impulse from lead 11 passed through capacitor 13 provided no reset of the call is signaled by a positive signal on lead 18 to generate in inverter 19 an inhibiting signal on lead 21. AND 12 is gated by the presence of an enabling signal on lead 21 when no reset signal is imposed, the signal on lead 11 and the absence of a car at the floor of the hall call, as signified by the absence of a signal on lead 22 so that inverter 23 issues an enabling signal to input 24. With a car present at the landing, however, the AND 12 is inhibited inasmuch as the positive signal on lead 22 is, inverted in inverter 23 to an inhibiting signal on lead 24. Thus while a car is present at the landing, only AND 14 can issue a gating signal to OR and since AND 14 is responsive only to a pulse from a newly instituted hall call as passed through capacitance 13, only such newly instituted hall call can gate OR 15 and set the memory flip-flop 16.

A positive signal on lead 25 resets hall call memory flip flop 16. This signal is derived when the power is first applied to the system from a turn-on reset circuit (not shown) which applies a positive impulse to the reset leads 18 of all hall call memories, whereby all memories are reset at the initiation of operation of the system. Once the system is placed in operation, the reset is accomplished through the demand memory resets of the individual cars corresponding to the hall call for the landings and service direction of the hall call memories. In the fragmentary system illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, up and down demand memories for car A for the second floor are shown, FIG. 3, and an interconnection is provided from the AND 26, which enters into the reset function for the up demand memory 27 for car A in a manner to be described, by lead 29 to the hall call reset input lead 25. Lead 29 is isolated from AND 26 by diode 28. As will be described in more detail subsequently, AND 26 is gated by a coincidence of conditions indicating that the car is at the floor of the call, that its destination direction corresponds to the direction of the call, that the up demand reset has been gated, that the car is in group service, and that it has no door close request. Gating of an up demand reset is dependent upon means (not shown) responsive to a coincidence of a set stop memory for the car indicating a stop signal has been issued to the car, a logic direction corresponding to the service direction of the demand, a door open signal, and a coincidence of car position at the floor of the demand. Each car of the system is capable of resetting hall call memory 16 over an interconnection corresponding to the lead 29. Thus when one car issues a demand reset signal, it is passed to all other cars demand reset signals for the corresponding call direction and floor over the paralleled leads 29.

The setting of hall call memory flip-flop 16 results in either the direct allotment of the call to a car in the event that the call finder scanner has failed, or, if the call finder scanner is operating, the setting of flip-flop 16 causes the call finder to set the allotment floor in accordance with the registered call. This setting is accomplished only if no car has a demand for the floor and service direction of the call. If the car has such a demand, in the illustrative example, a two up demand in any car, a signal is passed to inverter 31 thereby imposing an inhibiting signal on lead 32 to AND 33. Inverter 31 is connected to the two up demand memory of each of the cars over parallel leads corresponding to lead 34 from the up demand memory for car A of FIG. 3. In the absence of an up demand on one of the cars in the system, the signal on lead 17 together with the enabling signal on lead 32 gates AND 33 to pass a gating signal on lead 35 to OR 36. OR 36 issues a THERE IS AN UNASSIGNED HALL CALL signal which functions in the call finder scanner control. The OR 36 can be gated by any of a plurality of hall calls as represented by the discontinuous leads protruding from the left or input side of the OR. Once the scanner function has been initiated in the call finder by gating OR 36, it continues until the scanner advances to a position of coincidence with a registered hall call at which time OR 37 is gated to inhibit the scanning function.

Hall call memory AND 38 gates OR 37 to issue a signal indicating that the call finder is coincident with an unassigned hall call. AND 38 is gated by the unassigned hall call at 2 as passed over lead 39, by a signal indicating that the call finder scanner is at the second floor as indicated by a signal over lead 41, when the call finder scanner direction is upward, as indicated by a signal on the lead 42. With AND 38 gated to issue a signal on its lead 43, indicating that a hall call for the up direction at the second floor has been found by the call finder scanner while scanning in an ascending direction, that signal in addition to stopping the call finder by gating OR 37 sets the allotter so that the allotment floor is the second floor by gating OR 44. OR 37 is gated by similar signals from any of a number of other hall call memories while OR 44 is gated only for the second floor and therefore can be gated by a signal on lead 45 from AND 46 indicating call finder scanner coincidence with the second floor while the scanner is scanning in a descending direction at a time when a down hall call for the second landing is registered to set flip-flop memory 47.

AND 48 in the second up hall call memory causes the direct allotment of a second up" hall call to all cars in response to the registration of such a hall call and the failure of the call finder scanner. AND 48 is gated by a signal on lead 17 indicative of the registration of an up hall call for the second floor in coincidence with a signal on the lead 49 indicative of a call finder scanner failure. It issues a signal on the lead 51 to AND 52 of FIG. 3 in each cars second up demand memory circuit whereby each of those cars which is not subject to an up demand memory reset signal and which is in group service will receive an up demand for the second floor.

FIG. 2 also illustrates a down hall call memory for the system having elements which correspond to the up hall call memory. The flip flop of this memory 47 is triggered by gating OR 53 corresponding to OR in response to operation of a down hall call switch to impose a signal on the lead 54 and gate ANDs 55 corresponding to 12 and 56 corresponding to 14. The capacitive coupling provided by capacitance 57 affords the stuck button failure feature described above for an up second floor" hall call memory by triggering the AND, 56, after the down hall call reset is shut off, in response to the initial down hall call signal registered at 2. At this time the AND 55 is inhibited since a car at 2 generates an inhibiting signal in the inverter 58. Inverter 59 corresponds to inverter 19 in that it inhibits both ANDs 55 and 56 in response to a reset signal RESET TWO DOWN HALL CALL as applied on lead 61.

A second floor down hall call starts the call finder scanner by gating AND 62 corresponding to AND 33 in the event that no car has a second down demand as indicated by the enabling signal from inverter 63 when a set signal is received on lead 111 from flip flop 47. This AND gates OR 36 to cause it to issue a signal indicating there is an unassigned hall call for which the call finder should scan.

As noted above, the termination of the scanner operation instituted in response to a second down hall call is actuated by gating AND 46 when the call finder scanner is at the second landing as signified by a signal on lead 41, the scanning direction is downward as indicated by a signal on lead 74, and there is an unassigned down hall call at the second floor as indicated by a signal on lead 65. AND 46 passes the signal over leads 45 and 66 to gate OR 37 resulting in a CALL FINDER IS AT AN UNASSIGNED CALL signal passed to the call finder scanner controls and an ALLOTMENT FLOOR IS TWO signal passed by OR 44 to the second demand memories of each of the cars.

A failure of the call finder indicated by a signal on lead 49 gates AND 67 corresponding to AND 48 in the event that a down hall call for the second floor is registered to set a down demand for'the second floor in each car which is in group service by issuing a signal on lead 68.

The call finder scanner is arranged to scan through a cycle of fourteen steps, in an ascending order and then in a descending order. Thus when the scanner reaches a count of fourteen on the ascending side of the scan, it is inverted to a descending scan and when it reaches one, upon a descending scan it is reversed to an ascending scan. These variations of scanning direction are controlled by a sensing means at the first and fourteenth scan position as signified to a flip flop control 69 having a set input 71 responsive to a scan of one to set the scanner to an ascending scan direction so that a positive signal is issued on lead 72. When the scan reaches fourteen, a signal on the reset input 73 of flip flop 69 terminates the positive signal on lead 72 and causes the flip flop 69 to issue a positive signal on lead 74, indicating that the scanner is set to scan in a descending direction.

When call finder scanner direction is up as indicated by a signal on lead 72, and a coincidence is established between the floor of a registered hall call and the call finder scan position as represented by a signal on lead 78, AND 60 is gated to issue an ALLOTMENT CALL DIRECTION IS UP signal to the allotter. Conversely, when the coincidence of scan position and hall call is sensed by OR 37 and applied over a branch of lead 78 to AND 70, while the call finder scanner direction is down so that a signal appears on the lead 74 from flip flop 69, the call finder issues an ALLOTMENT CALL DIRECTION IS DOWN signal through AND to the allotter.

Scanning is initiated by the issuance of the signal from OR 36 in the hall call memory indicating that there is an unassigned hall call to AND 75. AND 75 is gated provided there is no INHIBIT CALL FINDER" signal applied on lead 76 from the allotter such that inverter 77 applies an enabling signal to AND 75 The allotter and call finder functions are mutually exclusive. Thus the call finder is prevented from scanning for a new call while the allotter functions are being performed on a previously found call by the signal on lead 76. Conversely, there are provisions made in the allotter to prevent an allotting function occurring during the scanning of the call finder (by means at lead 211). In order to gate AND 75, it is also necessary that no coincidence of a scanner position with an unassigned hall call be signaled by the gating of OR 37 in the hall call memory to pass the signal over lead 78 to inverter 79. With positive signals on all of the inputs to AND 75 it issues a positive signal on its output lead 81 to a clock 82. Clock 82- supplies scan advancing pulses to the call finder scanner (not shown) at the discontinuous lead 83. The start signal for clock 82 is also applied over a branch of lead 81 to time delay 84. This time delay measures an interval of one-half second, a period sufficient for the call finder scanner to make a number of complete scans of the entire range of the scanner. If prior to the timing out of time delay 84, coincidence is established between an unassigned hall call and the scanner position, a signal from OR 37 over lead 78 causes inverter 79 to issue an inhibit signal to AND 75 At the completion of the signal on lead 81, inverter 85 also coupled to AND 75 by a branch of lead 81, issues a reset signal on lead 86 to time delay 84 thereby precluding the issuance of any signal from a time delay. If, however, no coincidence of scan position with an unassigned hall call is established in the interval defined by time delay 84, a signal issues on lead 49 to each AND gate of the hall call memories corresponding to gates 48 and 67. The significance of this signal is to indicate that the call finder scanner has not found a hall call indicated to be registered and unassigned, within a reasonable interval and therefore is presumed to have failed in one of its functions. As the result of such failure, all registered hall calls are assigned to all cars through the gating function of ANDs 48 and 67 as they issue direct demand assignment signals to the demand memories of each car for the floor and service direction corresponding to the registered hall calls.

A typical demand memory for the second floor for car A is shown in FIG. 3.

When the summed analog signal for the service capability of car A for a call subject to allotment is lower than any other cars summed analog signal, a normal allotment is accomplished for the up direction through the gating of AND 87 and for a down demand memory by the gating of AND 88. A normal up hall call allotment is accomplished by a coincidence of a positive signal on lead 89 from the call finder hall call memory OR 44 where the allotment call is a second floor call, a signal on lead 91 indicating the absence of an up demand reset for the floor, asignal from lead 92 indicating that the car is in group service and a signal from the allotter car assignment gating control (not shown) at lead 93 to signify this car is assigned an up hall call. Down hall calls are allotted when there is a coincidence of positive signals to the inputs of AND 88 from the call finder to lead 89 to identify the allotment floor, from the car control to lead 92 for a CAR IS IN GROUP SERVICE signal, from the down demand memory reset for the car at lead 94 indicating no down demand memory reset, and from the allotter car assignment gating control at lead 95 for a THIS CAR IS ASSIGNED A DOWN HALL CALLsignal.

It should be noted that the hall call assignment by the allotter is independent of the call pickup for slowdown of conventional elevator controls. That is, it is not dependent upon car position. The assignment of a hall call for a floor can be made at any time the car is beyond the location at which the slow down is initiated to bring a car to a stop at the floor. Further, while a call is assigned as a demand to an individual car, it is isolated from other cars so thatthey can run past the floor of the call and otherwise disregard it. However, through the interlocking of the reset functions of the demand memories and hall call memories, service to a hall call by any car, as in response to a car call, will result in the cancellation of a demand for that floor registered in another car.

Gating of AND 87 passes a signal to OR 96 which issues a signal to the set input of up second floor demand memory flip flop 27. Setting of flip flop 27 issues a signal on lead 97 indicating an up demand at the second floor for car A. OR 96 can also be gated by AND 52 in response to a call finder failure which gates AND 48 in the two up hall call" memory or by gating AND 98 for a direct setting of the demand memory. In a corresponding fashion the gating of AND 88 by an alloter function in response to a down hall call for the second floor gates OR 99 to apply a set signal to car A two down demand memory flip flop 101 which issues a DOWN DEMAND AT TWO signal for car A at lead 102. OR 99 can also be gated for a down demand memory when a call finder scanner failure gates AND 67 in the second floor down hall call memory, thereby passing a gating signal over lead 68 to AND 103. A direct setting of the down second floor demand memory for car A can also be accomplished by gating AND 104.

ANDs 98 and 104 function in the direct setting of the demand memory for a car present at the floor with its doors open at the time a hall call is registered. They are gated by imposing coincident positive signals on all inputs of AND 98 for an up car or AND 104 for a down car. A CAR IS IN GROUP SERVICE" signal is applied from lead 92 to these ANDs when car A is in group service. The car lead position generator (not shown) applies a positive signal on lead 105 when the is at the second landing to partially enable ANDs 98 and 104 when the car is at the second floor. A motor generator set is running signal is issued from the car control for car A to each of ANDs 104 and 98 from lead 106. A car A DOOR IS NOT CLOSED" signal is applied at lead 107 as derived from the car control (not shown). Further, in order to perform a direct assignment of an up demand through AND 98, there must also be present a DESTINATION DIRECTION IS UP signal on lead 109 from car control (not shown), a TWO UP HALL CALL MEMORY IS ON" signal from second floor up hall call memory 16 as applied over lead 17, and an absence of an up demand reset signal on lead 91. Corresponding signals gate AND 104 for a down demand memory which is directly assigned without the allotter evaluation of the relative capabilities of the cars through the application to AND 104 of a DOWN HALL CALL MEMORY IS SET signal for the second floor through set flip flop 47 and lead 111, a DESTINATION DIRECTION IS DOWN signal for car A at lead 112 from the car control (not shown) and an absence of down demand reset signal on lead 94.

An up demand memory is reset by applying a positive signal to the reset lead 114 of flip-flop 27. A positive signal on lead 115 of flip-flop 101 resets a down de mand memory. The up demand reset signal on lead 114 is issued by OR 116 when the power is initially applied to the system and a CANCEL ALL DEMANDS signal is applied on lead 118. This signal is also applied through OR 119 at the initiation of operation to reset flip flop 101.

In ordinary operation demands are reset by gating ORs typified by 116 and 119 through ANDs such as 121 and 122 respectively. These ANDs are enabled only if the car is in group service and a signal is present on lead 92. In such circumstances the service to the floor by any car of the system which is in group service and conditioned to serve the hall call from which the demand originated will reset the demand. Thus, the gating of any cars AND 26 applies a gating signal to AND 121 of all cars in group service through the interconnection provided by the connected leads 29 for each car.

AND 26 is gated for an ordinary stop by a car if there is a coincidence of signals on its input leads 92 signifying the CAR IS IN GROUP SERVICE, 109 for DESTINATION DIRECTION IS UP, 105 for CAR IS AT FLOOR TWO, 123 for GATE UP DEMAND RESET and 124 for NO DOOR CLOSE REQUEST. Each of these signals is derived from the car control (not shown).

The GATE UP DEMAND RESET results from a coincidence of a car in group service being located at a floor for which an up hall call memory is set, with its logic direction up and its stop memory set to insure that it will slowdown and stop. It should be noted that the term logic direction is distinct from destination direction. Logic direction" represents the direction the car is running until a stop signal is picked up. After such a stop signal pickup it is the same as destination direction. Destination direction is employed in the logic of hall lantern control and is effective between the initiation of the slowdown of the car and the closing of the car doors after a stop to indicate the direction in which the car will run from the stop. Thus when a car is ascending to a highest down hall call it has an up logic direction until it picks up the stop for that call. Then it has a down destination direction" so that as it approaches the floor it will light a down hall lantern and it's logic direction" is down. The down demand memory for the floor will be reset at that time since the car has its destination direction set to coincide with the logic direction, for down travel in the example.

The no door close request is derived from inverter 125 when no door close request signal is present on lead 126 of the car control (not shown).

Corresponding down demand memory reset signals are gated at AND 127 when the car at the landing is assigned to stop and has no door close signal. Thus for a second floor down demand for car A, AND 127 is gated by a coincidence of a CAR IS IN GROUP SER- VICE signal at lead 92, CAR IS AT FLOOR TWO" at 105, NO DOOR CLOSE REQUEST at 124, DESTINATION DIRECTION IS DOWN at lead 112, and GATE DOWN DEMAND RESET at lead 128.

Each demand memory reset signal is inverted to interlock the set and reset functions of the memory flipflop. Inverter 129 inverts the signal on lead 114 for an up demand reset to inhibit on lead 91 the gating of any of ANDs 87, 52 and 98 in the up demand set controls. Inverter 131 operates similarly to issue inhibit signals on lead 113 to ANDs 88, 103 and 104 of the down demand memory set controls.

Each demand memory is coupled to the call finder scanner gating controls in the hall call memory for the corresponding floor and direction to avoid a scanner operation when a corresponding demand memory is set. Thus an up demand at floor two for car A gates AND 132 if car A is in group service and not set to bypass demands. The signal on lead 34 causes inverter 31 of FIG. 2 to inhibit call memory AND 33. A signal on lead 97 in coincidence with a group service signal on lead 92, and the absence of a BYPASS signal derived from lead 133 as converted to an enabling signal on lead 134 by inverter 135 gates AND 132. AND 132 is isolated from corresponding ANDs for other cars by diode 136 and passes its signal to lead 34 to which those other ANDs are connected to provide the scanner inhibit. AND 137 in the down demand memory for floor two similarly passes an inhibit signal on lead 138 to inverter 63 of the second floor down hall call memory of FIG. 2.

A second form of call finder failure which requires more drastic response than that for the failure of the scanner portion is that resulting from a failure of the call finder power supply. Such a failure renders the hall call memories inoperative. Hence the command memories of the cars, those in which car calls are stored, are activated for all floors so that each car runs to and stops at every floor it serves.

The call finder when utilizing solid state active elements is supplied by a l 2 volt and +6 volt supply each of which are connected to call finder power supply failure detector 141 by leads 142 and 143 respectively as shown in FIG. 5. While both power supplies are maintained, a signal is issued from detector 141 on lead 144 which inhibits the activation of the failure control 145 for each car. If one or both power supplies fail, detector 141 issues an enabling signal to controls I45. Controls 145 are each dependent upon the availability of power to the logic controls individual to the car such that if the power is present as indicated on lead 146 for car A, control 145 for car A reacts to the call finder failure signal on lead 144 by issuing a signal on lead 147 to all command memories for car A, as signified by the arrowhead leads 148. This signal sets the command memories for all appropriate floors served by the car. Appropriate floors are floors ahead of the car if it has a single logic direction and all floors if it has a free car status. Similarly, all other cars having their l2 volt logic control power supplies will have their command memories set for all appropriate floors they serve in response to signals from their failure controls 145.

The exemplary command memory for the second floor for car A comprises a flip flop 149 which when set issues a positive true signal at 151 signifying a command for car A for floor two. Flip flop 149 is set by gating OR 152 and is reset by gating OR 153.

In setting the command, one of ANDs 154, 155 or 156 must be gated to OR 152. In ordinary operation, command memories are set by operating the corresponding car buttons in the car, provided the floors of those memories are ahead of the car. An ascending car, one having a logic direction is up signal on lead 157 gates AND 155 in response to a car call registered by a conventional push button (not shown) to gate a signal from lead 158 through OR 159 to lead 161, provided the car is below the floor so that a signal is present on lead 162 and the command memory for the floor is not being reset so that a signal is on lead 163. A car call for a floor below a descending car gates AND 156 by the coincidence of the call on lead 161, a down logic direction signaled on lead 164 and a car location above the floor of the call as signaled on lead 165 when a no reset signal is present on lead 163.

A car which has no commands or demands is considered a free car in the present system and is permitted to remain dormant at the floor to which it last provided service. A free car is permitted to respond to car calls above or below it by gating AND 154. Similarly, a car which is placed on independent service, as distinct from group service, can respond to a call above or below it without regard to the cars logic direction by gating AND 154. The free car status of a car signaled on lead 166 gates OR 167 as does the ACCEPT ALL COMMANDS signal on lead 168 of a car on independent service. Gating of OR 167 enables AND 154 so that it is responsive to a car call signal from lead 158 and OR 159 when a no reset signal is present on lead 163. Thus a free car in group service or a car on independent service will run to any car call.

A failure of the call finder power supply is signaled on lead 148 to AND 169 and is effective if the car is in group service and has an enabling signal on lead 171 to gate AND 169 and OR 159 in the manner of a manually registered car call. If under these conditions of failure the car is a free car, AND 154 is gated for all command memories of the car and in due course the car establishes a running direction and runs to every floor as a round trip of its entire travel. If the car has a logic direction established, as it will if it is in group service and not a free car, then a signal from the failure control 145 will set all command memories ahead of the car since AND 154 will be inhibited by the absence of a signal from OR 167 and the signal from OR 159 will be enabled for the logic direction of the car. If the car has an up logic direction, at 157 to AND 155, the command memories above the car will be set. If it is a descending car, those command memories below the car will be set by gating AND 156.

The call finder power supply failure when corrected terminates the command setting signal on lead 148 whereby each car as it concludes its travel in its current logic direction cancels its commands and remains available for assignment to registered hall calls.

Reset of command memories is accomplished at the initiation of application of power to the system and by the response of the car at the floors for which command memories are registered. As power is applied to the system a RESET ALL COMMANDS signal is issued to each command memory of each car at its lead 172 and is gated by OR 153 to the reset input of command memory 149. In ordinary operation when a car is at the floor for which a command memory is set, a signal is applied at lead 173 of that command memory. When the car has its stop controls set, is at the floor of the command, and its door open signal is on, its car control (not shown) issues a GATE COMMAND RESET signal to lead 174. A coincidence of signals at leads 173 and 174 gates AND 175 to OR 153 and thereby issues a reset to the flip-flop 149.

During reset of the flip-flop 149, the sources of its set signal are inhibited by inverting the reset signal from OR 153 in inverter 176 to an inhibit signal on lead 163. This inhibits each of ANDs 154, 155 and 156 to avoid any signal to OR 152 and the set input of flip-flop 149.

Following the identification of the floor and service direction of an unassigned registered hall call as an allotment call by the call finder, that information is utilized to set the allotter scanner and an evaluation of the relative capability of the several cars in group service to serve the allotment call is undertaken by the allotter. Thus the call finder identifies the allotment floor to each cars demand memory for the appropriate floor and service direction as on lead 89 of FIG. 3 and the car to receive the demand is identified by the allotter at lead 93 of FIG. 3 to gate AND 87 and set the up demand memory flip flop 27 or at lead 95 of FIG. 3 to gate AND 88 and set the down demand memory flip flop 101. These allotter outputs are shown in FIG. 4 as actuated by the conventional allotter function and by an allotter failure.

The call finder scanner control of FIG. 2 identifies the service direction of the allotment call at AND 70 to lead 80 for an ALLOTMENT CALL DIRECTION IS DOWN signal and at AND 60 to lead 90 for an AL- LOTMENT CALL DIRECTION IS UP signal which are applied to the allotter car assignment gating of FIG. 4 in the lower left corner. The floor of the allotment call is identified by the hall call memory having OR 44 gated to lead 89 as applied to the allotter failure circuitry of FIG. 4 for each floor and gated for all floors through OR 181 to AND 182. AND 182 is enabled by the absence of an allotment overload signal on lead 183 to inverter 184 which gates OR 185 so that AND 182 ordinarily is gated as the allotment floor is identified. The signal from AND 182 initiates operation of an allotter failure timer, time delay 186, which runs until reset by the termination of the signal from AND 182 or until a predetermined time interval has been defined which is adequate to accomplish several allotments. If the timer runs its full interval, an allotter failure is indicated and allotment of hall calls is by the allotter failure mode of operation.

A successful allotter operation is accomplished by scanning all floors in an ascending and descending scan beginning and ending with the allotment floor and initially advancing the allotter scan in opposition to the service direction of the allotment call. Thus an allotter scan is indicated as complete when the signals TWO ALLOTTER SCAN REVERSALS on lead 187, AL- LOTTER SCANNER AT ALLOTMENT FLOOR" on lead 188, and NO CAR HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR ALLOTMENT on lead 189 are coincident on AND 191. Upon completion of the scan the analog signals representing the several service capability factors for the cars are summed for individual cars and a ramp generator is placed in operation to produce a signal which increases in magnitude with time. A signal from AND 191 initiates the ramp generator.

The ramp signal on lead 192 is applied to comparators (not shown) individual to each car which also have the summed analog signal for their individual cars'applied. When a coincidence is attained between the summed signal of a car and the increasing ramp signal level, a CAR IS CHOSEN signal is issued by the comparator for that car. Thus if car A has the smallest summed signal, that signal will be first to correspond to the ramp signal level and a CAR A IS CHOSEN signal will appear at lead 193 from the comparator. This signal gates AND 194 since the interlocks from ANDs 195, 196 and 197 through inverters 198, 199 and 201 respectively all indicate no other car has been chosen. Inverter 202 from the output of AND 194 inhibits each of ANDs 195, 196 and 197 to avoid developing an assignment between any of cars B, C, and D and the allotment call while the signal from AND 194 to ANDs 203 and 204 partially enable development of the assignment between car A and the call. The choice of car A gates OR 205 from AND 194 to terminate the operation of the ramp generator by causing inverter 206 to issue an inhibit signal on lead 189 to AND 191. Gated OR 205 initiates operation of time delay 207. Time delay 207 delays response of the hall call assignment ANDs 203 and 204 to insure that the ramp generation has been terminated and all but one car is locked out of the assignment function before that function is completed.

A delayed enable signal for up hall calls is issued by AND 208 and is issued for down hall calls by AND 209. These AN Ds also function in the lockout of the hall call assignment during allotter reset. Each AND is enabled only when no ALLOTTER MAIN RESET signal is applied to the allotter at lead 211 to rest the analog signals for the cars. Inverter 212 in the absence of a reset signal on lead 211 passes an enabling signal on lead 210 to ANDs 208 and 209. Allotment call direction is identified on leads 80 and 90. When time delay 207 issues a signal, that AND for the allotment call direction is gated, as down AND 209 from lead 80 or up AND 208 from lead 90.

The ANDs of the 203 and 204 family segregate signals for up and down hall call assignments to individual cars only when the call finder is not running. This interlock of the call finder and allotter functions to avoid simultaneous operation is accomplished by the signal CALL FINDER IS RUNNING on lead 213, inverter 214 and lead 215 such that application of a CALL FINDER IS RUNNING signal to inverter 214 inhibits all of the ANDs of the 203 and 204 family. If the call finder is not running, the allotment call direction is up to gate AND 208 and car A is chosen to gate AND 194, AND 203 is gated to issue a CAR A ASSIGNED UP HALL CALL signal on lead 93 to each up demand memory of car A as typified for floor two in F IG. 2. If the call finder is not running and the allotment call direction is down to gate AND 209 when car A is chosen, then AND 204 is gated to pass a CAR A ASSIGNED DOWN HALL CALL" signal on lead 95 to each down demand memory of car A. In like manner the remaining paired ANDs shown below 204 assign up and down hall calls to cars B, C, and D through those cars respective demand memories.

When the hall call has been allotted to a car by setting the cars demand memory for the floor and service direction of the call that demand memory gates AND 132 if an up call or AND 137 ifa down call (FIG. 3) to terminate the identification of the allotment floor. For example, an up second floor demand gates AND 132 to lead 34. All cars have their leads 34 connected in parallel for the demand memory of each given floor and direction so that assignment for any demand actuates inverter 31 (FIG. 2) to inhibit hall call memory AND 33 thereby inhibiting AND 38 to inhibit OR 44 and block the signal on lead 89 (FIG. 2). Thus the gating signal to OR 181 of FIG. 4 is terminated, AND 182 is inhibited and timer 186 is reset by a signal from inverter 216.

If the allotment floor identification is canceled within the interval defined by the time delay 186, the allotter operation is considered proper and no transfer to an allotter failure operating mode occurs. If the interval expires before allotment is concluded a signal is issued on lead 217 to gate AND 218 if an ALLOTMENT CALL DIRECTION IS UP signal is present on lead 90, or to gate AND 219 if an ALLOTMENT CALL DIRECTION IS DOWN signal is present on lead 80. When AND 218 is gated an assigned up hall call signal is passed through isolating rectifiers 221 to lead 93 and every up demand memory of each car whereby the allotment call is assigned to each car. An up call is assigned by actuating each cars up demand flip flop for the allotment call by gating AND 87 in FIG. 3 when the car is in group service to place a signal on lead 92, its allotment floor is identified by the signal on lead 89, its flip flop is not being reset so a signal is present on lead 91 and the allotter failure has placed a signal on lead 93 from AND 218 in FIG. 4. AND 219 in FIG. 4, when gated, passes a signal through each of isolating diodes 222 to the assigned down hall call signal leads 95 of every down demand memory of every car. In the case where floor two is the allotment floor this will gate AND 88 of FIG. 3 for each car in group service by coincidence of the CAR IS IN GROUP SERVICE signal on lead 92, the ALLOTMENT FLOOR IS TWO signal on lead 89, the NO DOWN DEMAND RESET signal on lead 94 and the CAR ASSIGNED DOWN HALL CALL signal on lead 95.

In the case of an allotment overload an additional delay is introduced before the allotter failure timer 186 can time out. An allotment overload is indicated when the ramp level is permitted to attain some predetermined value which is indicative of system saturation. Thus if the summed signals of the individual cars are considered to represent the time which will be required to serve the allotment call by each of those cars, and no coincidence of summed signal level and ramp signal level is achieved below a limit representing a substantial time interval, the allotter recycles the ramp generator (by means not shown) without allotting the allotment call. This ramp signal limit is established by a signal source having an adjustable level which is integrated with a comparator 223 arranged to apply a set signal to allotter overload flip-flop 224 when the preset limit level is reached by the ramp signal. When flip-flop 224 is set, it issues a signal on lead 183 to cause inverter 184 to inhibit OR 185. As a result AND 182 is inhibited and allotter failure timer 186 is reset by inverter 216.

The signal on lead 183 representing an allotter overload condition is passed on lead 225 to timer 226. Timer 226 is intended to provide the allotter with an interval in which it repetitively attempts to allot the allotment call. This period can be of the order of a minute on the basis that in that time cars will have satisfied some of the service requirements imposed upon them and thereby improved their capacity to serve the allotment call. Such improvement should reduce their summed analog signal below the level set by control 223 such that a car can be chosen and its demand memory set for the allotment call.

If the allotment overload is not eliminated within the interval defined by allotment overload timer 226, that timer issues a signal on lead 220 to gate OR 185 thereby enabling AND 182 since OR 181 is gated by the allotment call. AND 182 reinitiates the allotter failure timer operation in timer 186. The timer then enables ANDs 218 and 219 by its signal on 217 so that all cars in group service receive a signal for the allotment direction established by the call finder on lead 93 or of their demand memories. That demand memory corresponding to the allotment call as to both floor and direction is thereby gated through AND 87 or 88 of FIG. 3 for each car. Thus, allotment of an allotment call to all group service cars is accomplished in response to an allotment overload when such overload persists for the interval of timer 226 plus the interval of timer 186.

When the service requirement signal for a car is reduced below the limit imposed upon the ramp signal, that cars comparator (not shown) responds to the coincidence of the ramp signal and the service requirement signal to issue a CAR IS CHOSEN signal to the cars AND 194, 195, 196 or 197. This gates OR 205 to inverter 206 to terminate the signal on lead 189. In the absence of a signal on lead 189, AND 191 is inhibited so that no signal is issued on lead 227 and the ramp generator is stopped. The allotter overload flip-flop 224 is reset at this time by the removal of the signal from leads 189 and 230 to inverter 228. Inverter 228 which issues no signal to the reset lead of flip-flop 224 while no car is chosen now issues such a signal. The reset of the flip-flop removes the signal on leads 183 and 225 so that inverter 184 gates OR 185 with no effect on AND 182 since the allotment call formerly gating OR 181 has become a demand and OR 181 is no longer gated. This prevents timing of timer 186. Also the absence of a signal on lead 225 causes inverter 229 to issue a reset signal to time delay 226.

It is to be understood that the present invention lends itself to a number of combinations of elements and alternatives. Thus the serializing call finder can be arranged to select two or more registered hall calls for allotment simultaneously, or the allotter can be arranged to allot two or more calls simultaneously. An allotter which sets acceptable limits of service capability to develop an assignment between a hall call and a car instead of one which develops the assignment with the car having the optimum service capability can be employed. The failure of the hall call assignment means which includes the call finder and allotter can be arranged in the failure responsive means to gate only non-assigned calls or only calls ahead of the cars, or only calls for a given service direction. In view of the many alternatives the above specification is to be read as illustrative of the inventive concepts and not as a limitation on the scope of this invention.

Having described the invention, we claim:

1. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; and means to transfer each of said cars individually between an independent service state in which said car is non-responsive to said first assignment means and a group service state in which said car is responsive to said first assignment means; and means responsive to said transfer means when in a group service state in coincidence with response of said failure sensing means to actuate said second assignment means to develop an assignment between said registered call and only those cars in the group service state.

2. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said com mon registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to select calls registered by said call registering means individually for assignment; means responsive to the initiation of said selecting means; third means responsive to a function following operation of said initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said selecting means; and wherein said failure sensing means is responsive to a coincidence of the failure of said selecting means to select a registered call, of the initiation responsive means indicating an initiation of selection, and of a response of said third means, whereby said second means develops an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars to set each to run to the floor of the registered call when a call selection is initiated and not completed in a normal sequence of said selecting means.

3. A combination according to claim 2 wherein said second means to develop an assignment assigns each call currently registered for service to prospective passengers by said registering means to a plurality of said cars.

4. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said call registering means for each floor are for each direction of travel from said floor and including a demand memory means for each car for each call registering means for each floor and for each direction of travel from said floor; means for individually selecting registered calls for said first assignment means; means responsive to the initiation of said selecting means; third means responsive to a function following operation of said selecting means initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said selecting means; said failure sensing means sensing coincidence of a failure of said selecting means to select a registered call, of the response of the initiation responsive means, and of the response of said third means; and gating means to actuate said demand memory means for each car for each registered call in response to a coincidence of an operated call registering means for the floor and direction of travel of said demand memory means and an operated failure sensing means, whereby all demand memory means for each of said cars for floors and travel direction corresponding to the floors and travel directions of registered calls are gated to set the cars for travel to serve said floors in said service directions.

5. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop a call assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means responsive to the initiation of said evaluating means; fourth means responsive to a function following operation of said evaluating means initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said evaluating means; and means responsive to a coincidence of a failure of said evaluating means, of the response of the initiation responsive means, and of the response of said fourth means to actuate said failure sensing means, whereby the failure of said first assignment means to evaluate the predicted service capability for said cars with respect to a registered call actuates said second assignment means to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars.

6. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to i said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means to choose for said assignment by said first assignment means, a car having a given predicted service capability; and a timer defining an interval initiated in response to the initiation of said evaluating means and exceeding a normal operation interval of said evaluating means and said choosing means; said failure sensing means being responsive to the expiration of said time interval prior to the choice of a car by said choosing means whereby said second assignment means is actuated to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars; and means responsive to said evaluating means prediction of a service capability for each car of said plurality with respect toa registered call to be assigned of at least a given level to inhibit operation of said timer, whereby service capability evaluations indicating poor service capability are prevented from actuating said failure sensing means and said second assigning means.

7. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means to choose for said assignment by said first assignment means, a car having a given predicted service capability; and a timer defining an interval initiated in response to the initiation of said evaluating means and exceeding a normal operation interval of said evaluating means and said choosing means; said failure sensing means being responsive to the expiration of said time interval prior to the choice of a car by said choosing means whereby said second assignment means is actuated to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars; and overload means responsive to said evaluating means predicting a service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned of at least a given level; means to inhibit said timer in response to a response of said overload means whereby said failure sensing means and said second assignment means are prevented from operating when said predicted service capability is below said given level; a second timer defining an interval of a magnitude to permit said cars to improve their service capability and initiated by the response of said overload means; and means to disable said inhibit means in response to expiration of said interval defined by said second timer whereby said failure sensing means and said second assignment means are actuated if said predicted service capability is not improved above said given level by the termination of said second interval.

8. A combination according to claim 7 including means to reset said second timer upon termination of operation of said overload means whereby the imand an individual car whereby said car is set to run to minal floor in said travel direction whereby said system is converted from a condition in which each car is selectively assigned to calls registered on said registering means to a condition in which calls for all floors ahead of each car are assigned to each car in response to a failure of said call selecting means; and a power supply for said selecting means; means responsive to a the floor of said call; means for each car to establish a travel direction for said car; and means responsive to a failure of said call selecting means for assigning to each car a call for each floor displaced from said car in the direction of travel of said car to and including the terfailure of said power supply for actuating said failure responsive means; means for supplying power to each car individually; said failure responsive means applying said individual car power supply means to said second assigning means to assign to individual cars a call for each floor displaced from said car in the direction of travel of said car. 

1. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; and means to transfer each of said cars individually between an independent service state in which said car is non-responsive to said first assignment means and a group service state in which said car is responsive to said first assignment means; and means responsive to said transfer means when in a group service state in coincidence with response of said failure sensing means to actuate said second assignment means to develop an assignment between said registered call and only those cars in the group service state.
 2. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to select calls registered by said call registering means individually for assignment; means responsive to the initiation of said selecting means; third means responsive to a function following operation of said initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said selecting means; and wherein said failure sensing means is responsive to a coincidence of the failure of said selecting means to select a registered call, of the initiation responsive means indicating an initiation of selection, and of a response of said third means, whereby said second means develops an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars to set each to run to the floor of the registered call when a call selection is initiated and not completed in a normal sequence of said selecting means.
 3. A combination according to claim 2 wherein said second means to develop an assignment assigns each call currently registered for service to prospective passengers by said registering means to a plurality of said cars.
 4. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said call registering means for each floor are for each direction of travel from said floor and including a demand memory means for each car for each call registering means for each floor and for each direction of travel from said floor; means for individually selecting registered calls for said first assignment means; means responsive to the initiation of said selecting means; third means responsive to a function following operation of said selecting means initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said selecting means; said failure sensing means sensing coincidence of a failure of said selecting means to select a registered call, of the response of the initiation responsive means, and of the response of said third means; and gating means to actuate said demand memory means for each car for each registered call in response to a coincidence of an operated call registering means for the floor and direction of travel of said demand memory means and an operated failure sensing means, whereby all demand memory means for each of said cars for floors and travel direction corresponding to the floors and travel directions of registered calls are gated to set the cars for travel to serve said floors in said service directions.
 5. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment betweEn said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop a call assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means responsive to the initiation of said evaluating means; fourth means responsive to a function following operation of said evaluating means initiation responsive means which occurs subsequent to the completion of a normal operation of said evaluating means; and means responsive to a coincidence of a failure of said evaluating means, of the response of the initiation responsive means, and of the response of said fourth means to actuate said failure sensing means, whereby the failure of said first assignment means to evaluate the predicted service capability for said cars with respect to a registered call actuates said second assignment means to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars.
 6. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; wherein said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means to choose for said assignment by said first assignment means, a car having a given predicted service capability; and a timer defining an interval initiated in response to the initiation of said evaluating means and exceeding a normal operation interval of said evaluating means and said choosing means; said failure sensing means being responsive to the expiration of said time interval prior to the choice of a car by said choosing means whereby said second assignment means is actuated to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars; and means responsive to said evaluating means prediction of a service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned of at least a given level to inhibit operation of said timer, whereby service capability evaluations indicating poor service capability are prevented from actuating said failure sensing means and said second assigning means.
 7. In an elevator control system for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors and including means common to said cars for each of a plurality of said floors to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floor; and first means to develop an assignment exclusively between one of said cars and a call for a floor registered on one of said common registering means whereby only said car subject to said assignment is set to run to the floor in response to said registered call; the improvement which comprises means to sense the failure of said assigning means to develop an assignment between a car and a call registered on said common registering means; second means responsive to said failure sensing means to develop an assignment between said registered call and a a plurality of cars whereby each of said cars is set to run to the floor of said registered call; whereiN said first means to develop an assignment between a call and an individual car includes means to evaluate the predicted service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned; means to choose for said assignment by said first assignment means, a car having a given predicted service capability; and a timer defining an interval initiated in response to the initiation of said evaluating means and exceeding a normal operation interval of said evaluating means and said choosing means; said failure sensing means being responsive to the expiration of said time interval prior to the choice of a car by said choosing means whereby said second assignment means is actuated to develop an assignment between said call and a plurality of cars; and overload means responsive to said evaluating means predicting a service capability for each car of said plurality with respect to a registered call to be assigned of at least a given level; means to inhibit said timer in response to a response of said overload means whereby said failure sensing means and said second assignment means are prevented from operating when said predicted service capability is below said given level; a second timer defining an interval of a magnitude to permit said cars to improve their service capability and initiated by the response of said overload means; and means to disable said inhibit means in response to expiration of said interval defined by said second timer whereby said failure sensing means and said second assignment means are actuated if said predicted service capability is not improved above said given level by the termination of said second interval.
 8. A combination according to claim 7 including means to reset said second timer upon termination of operation of said overload means whereby the improvement of the predicted service capability above said given level reconditions the control for a subsequent full interval operation of said second timer.
 9. An elevator control for a plurality of cars serving a plurality of floors including means to register calls for service to prospective passengers at said floors; means to select individually calls registered upon said call registering means; first means to develop a call assignment between a call selected by said selecting means and an individual car whereby said car is set to run to the floor of said call; means for each car to establish a travel direction for said car; and means responsive to a failure of said call selecting means for assigning to each car a call for each floor displaced from said car in the direction of travel of said car to and including the terminal floor in said travel direction whereby said system is converted from a condition in which each car is selectively assigned to calls registered on said registering means to a condition in which calls for all floors ahead of each car are assigned to each car in response to a failure of said call selecting means; and a power supply for said selecting means; means responsive to a failure of said power supply for actuating said failure responsive means; means for supplying power to each car individually; said failure responsive means applying said individual car power supply means to said second assigning means to assign to individual cars a call for each floor displaced from said car in the direction of travel of said car. 